Half to emanuel e



(No Model.)

J. B. MATHEWSON.

HORSE COLLAR.

' No. 553,350. Patented Jan. 21, 1896 55555555 W a 7 irl fimewsaia Wiigasses UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JERRY B. MATHEVVSON, OF DAVID CITY, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALE TO EMANUEL E. STEVENS, OF SAME PLACE.

HORSE-COLLAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,350, dated January 21, 1896.

Application filed October 19, 1895- Serial No. 566,238. (No modelh To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J EERYB. MATHEwsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at David City, in the county of Butler and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Horse-Collar, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in horse-collars, and has for its object to provide means for increasing or decreasing the size of a collar to adapt it for different-sized horses or for the same horse under varying conditions, thereby enablin g a perfect fit to be had without chafing or otherwise injuring and inflicting punishment upon the animal, which frequently occurs from badly-fitting collars.

With these and other objects in View the invention consists essentially of the novel features which hereinafter will be more particularly set forth, illustrated, and finally embodied in the claims.

The accompanying drawings are illustrative of an adaptation of the invention, although various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, and in said drawings Figure 1 is a front view of a horse-collar having the invention applied. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the fastener. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the members disconnected. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the adj usting-bolts.

The same numerals of reference denote corresponding and like parts in all the figures of the drawings, in Which 1 indicates a collar open at the bottom and having the separated ends connected by the improved fastener hereinafter to be more particularly described, and by means of which the size of the collar can be varied to adapt it for diiferentsized horses.

The fastener is composed of two members, 2 and 3, of substantially like construction, each comprising an oblong plate 4 and a tang 5, the latter extending from the plate and forming therewith an acute angle, and curving slightly in its length and deflected between its edges to conform to the part of the collar to which it is attached, the connection being had in any substantial manner, preferably by rivets or like fastenings passing through openings in the tang.

Notches or slots 6 extend inward from the free edge of the plate of the member 2 and are designed to receive the engaging ends of the adjusting-bolts 7, and are of a width corresponding to the neck portion 8 of the said adjusting-bolts.

The plate of the member 3 is formed with threaded openings 9, in which are fitted the adj Listing-bolts '7, so that the headed ends of the bolts can be proj eeted to a greater or less distance from the plate 4 to vary the size of the collar by separating the lower ends thereof to a greater or less distance.

The adjusting-bolts 7 are of like construction and are supported in the threaded openings 9 and have collars or annular enlargements 10 at their engaging ends and heads 11 of corresponding size to and located a short distance from the collars or annular enlargement-s 10 and mounted upon the neck portions 8 which extend between the parts 10 and 11.

The part 10 may be formed with or attached to the adj usting-bolt, as found most convenient, but the heads 11 are separate pieces which are fitted upon the neck portions 8 and retained in place by upsettin the eXtremities of the latter after the heads 11. have been fitted thereon.

A plate 12 is mounted upon the neck portions 8 of the adjusting -bolts and abuts against the plate of the member 2 when the parts of the fastener are coupled together. This plate 12 is provided at its lower edge with a loop 13 to receive the hame-strap, by means of which the members or parts are pre vented from accidental displacement. A ring 15 is attached to the tang of one of the members and receives the pole or neck-yoke strap, as will be readily understood.

hen coupling the members or parts of the fastener the neck portions 8 of the adj ustingbolts are passed into the notches or slots (5, and the plate of the member 2 is held between the heads 11 and the plate 12. By lengthening or shortening the adj usting-bolts the size of the collar can be varied, as will be readily understood, and these adjusting-bolts are lengthened and shortened .by screwing them into or out of the threaded openingsQ in any convenient manner. The lengthening and shortening of the adjusting-bolts are accomplished by moving the heads 11 to a greater or less distance from the plate bearing the threaded openings 9.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is .1.' A fastener for horse collars, comprising a plate having slots extending inward from one edge, a companion plate having threaded openings in which are adjustably mounted adjusting bolts, adjusting bolts having annular enlargements andheads at their outer ends and an intermediate neck portion, and a plate mounted upon the neck portions of the adjusting bolts and adapted to abut against the aforesaid slotted plate, substantially as specified.

2. A fastener for horse collars, comprising two members, one member having a slotted" plate and the other member having a plate headed ends of the adjusting bolts and provided with a loop to receive the hame strap to prevent the accidental separation of the members,.substantially as set forth.

The herein shown and described collar fastener, composed of similarly constructed members, each comprising a plate and a tang, the plate of one member having notches or slots extending inward from one edge and the plate of the opposite member having threaded openings, adjusting bolts mounted in the said threaded openings and having annular enlargements, heads and intermediate neck portions at their outer ends, a plate mounted upon the neck portions of the adjusting bolts between the heads and annular enlargements and having a loop at its lower edge, and a ring secured to one of the members, substantially as set forth for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JERRY B. MATHENVSON.

Witnesses: 1 G. H. ALDRICH, R. H. SMITH. 

